What should a landlord do when a tenant is locked out or loses their keys?

Write the lockout policy into the lease or house rules

A short policy removes most of the arguments. It should say who a tenant calls, what hours you answer, what you charge and how the charge is paid. If you or a manager open the door, a flat fee is easier to explain than an hourly one. If you use a locksmith, the tenant pays the locksmith directly, or you pay and bill the tenant the exact invoice.

• A phone or text number, and what counts as an after-hours lockout.
• The fee for opening a door during the day and after hours, or a statement that the tenant pays the locksmith bill.
• How you verify the tenant (photo ID matching the lease, or a call to the number on the lease).
• What happens with a lost key: the cost of a replacement key, and when the lock must be rekeyed.

A few states or cities cap lockout fees, limit how a landlord can charge for entry or require a response during certain hours. Check your state before you set a number.

Verify before you open a door

The most common risk is letting the wrong person in: an ex-partner, a former tenant, someone who says they are the tenant. Confirm identity every time, and keep an eye on the lease: only people on it have a right to enter. If a person claims to be a guest or relative, do not open the unit, and offer to call the tenant instead.

Keep a record of each lockout: who asked, how you verified them, what time and what you charged. It protects you if a dispute comes later, and the log shows patterns, such as a tenant who locks out every month.

Lost keys: replace or rekey

If a tenant lost a key somewhere unknown, such as a bag stolen with their address, treat the lock as compromised and rekey it. A lost key at home that turns up in the couch does not need a rekey. If the tenant caused the loss, the lease usually makes them pay for the rekey or the replacement; if a lock simply broke, the landlord pays.

Example a made-up tenant texts at 10 p.m. that they are locked out. The owner asks for a photo ID and a selfie at the door, checks it against the lease, and sends the building's local locksmith. The tenant pays the locksmith's $95 after-hours fee directly. The owner logs the time, the ID check and the amount.

When the lock failed, not the tenant

If the key does not turn because the cylinder broke, the deadbolt jammed or the door swelled, that is a repair and the landlord pays. Ask the tenant what happened and whether the key worked yesterday, and have the locksmith note the cause. Never charge a lockout fee for a failed lock.

A tenant locked out in winter or with a child or a medical need inside can be an emergency. Treat it as one and look at your after-hours plan.

How DoorKeeping handles it

A lockout report becomes a work order marked locksmith and urgent, and if you have added a locksmith as a helper, DoorKeeping can offer them the job and show the address and access notes through a job link without making the helper create an account. You can ask Claude or ChatGPT which units have had more than one lockout this year. Rent stays in your own bank account, and anything involving money waits for your approval.

Sources

1. DoorKeeping: Connect Claude or ChatGPT (steps and tools list), read Oct 30, 2026

Questions

Who pays when a tenant is locked out?

Usually the tenant, either by paying the locksmith directly or reimbursing the landlord's exact bill. Your lease should say so, and some places limit lockout fees.

Can a landlord charge a lockout fee?

Often yes if the lease allows it, but some states or cities limit or ban certain fees. Check your state and keep the charge reasonable.

Do I have to rekey if a tenant loses a key?

Not always. Rekey when the key could be in the wrong hands, such as stolen or lost outside the home, and charge according to your lease.

Can I let a tenant in without checking ID?

It is risky. Verify that the person is on the lease before you open the unit, and keep a record of how you did it.